The first two Saturdays of the month saw the annual regional junior championships take place at the Otago Chess Club. On the 4th Ben Clayton (Tahuna Intermediate) defended his Otago/Southland Primary & Intermediate Championship title. He won with a score of 5½/6, a full point clear of Charlie Li (DNI) in second place, while third was shared by Joe McKee, Ethan Lau (both Maori Hill) and Ryan Lau (Balmacewen Intermediate) on 4 points.
The following Saturday it was the Otago Junior Championship, open to all players under 20 years old. The top seed was Kings HS homestay student Thorben Koop, and his overseas experience showed in his impressive victory of six straight wins. Joint winner last year, Edward Rains (Christchurch BHS) took clear second place on 5 points, a point clear of the four-way tie for third between Elliot Munro, David Moratti (both OBHS), Tim Rains (Christchurch BHS) and Ben Clayton.
Today's game was the decisive contest between the two leaders in the fifth round of the Otago Junior Championship. Edward Rains has the white pieces against Thorben Koop.
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5 d6
Far more common against the Grand Prix Attack is 5...Nd4. The text allows White to double the black c-pawns and play for a kingside attack based on f4-f5. 6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.0-0 Nh6 8.d3 0-0 9.Qe1 Bg4
Aiming to reduce the number of offensive pieces by exchanging off the knight on f3 and establish a grip on the central dark squares. 10.f5 Bxf3 11.Rxf3 Ng4 12.Qh4 Ne5!?
Driving the rook to the h-file, intending to organise counterplay on the rest of the board in the rook's absence. 13.Rh3 h5 14.Bg5 Qb6!? 15.Rb1 ---
Clearly 15 Bxe7?! Qxb2 is better for Black, but 15 Nd1! looks more testing of Black's idea than the text as the knight covers the vulnerable squares on f2 and e3 as well as defending b2. For instance 15... c4+ 16 Kh1! cxd3 17 cxd3 and the pawn on e7 can't be defended. 17...f6 18 Bd2 looks great for White, while 17...e6 18 Be7 Rfe8 19 f6! Bf8 20 Bxf8 and either recapture is problematic (20...Kxf8 21 g4! or 20...Rxf8 21 Qg5 Ng4 22 Rxh5). 15.--- c4+ 16.Be3 ---
If now 16 Kh1 Ng4 17 Nd1 then 17...Qc5! creates serious threats. E.g. 18 Bxe7 cxd3 19 cxd3 Qc2 20 Ra1 Bxb2 21 Nxb2 Nf2+ 22 Kg1 Nxh3+ 23 Qxh3 Qxb2 and Black should beat off the attack. 16.--- Qc7 17.Bg5 Ng4!?
Playing for a win rather than 17...Qb6+ repeating. 18.Na4?! ---
Putting the knight out of play, when from d1 it would also defend f2. An interesting alternative was 18 dxc4!? Qb6+ 19 Kf1 Be5! with extreme complications when Black's counter threats seem to keep the balance. 18.--- Qa5 19.b3 cxd3 20.cxd3 Rab8 21.Rf3? ---
Overlooking the threat contained in the last move. After 21 Rc1 Bd4+ 22 Kf1 e6 both sides are still very much in the game. 21.--- Qxa4!
Winning material as 22 bxa4?? Rxb1+ 23 Rf1 Bd4+ mates. White's 'best' continuation materially is 22 Bxe7 Qxa2 23 Rbf1 Bd4+ 24 Kh1 Nf2+! 25 R3xf2 Bxf2 26 Qxf2 Qxf2 27 Rxf2 Rxb3! with an easily winning ending for Black. Instead he tries a more practical approach in the hope of a blunder in the approaching time pressure. 22.f6!? Qd4+ 23.Kh1 Bxf6 24.Bxf6 Nxf6 25.Rbf1 a5
The rest of the game was not recorded due to the rapid time limit. The extra knight soon made itself felt and Black won without trouble.
Impressive victories at Otago junior events
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
The first two Saturdays of the month saw the annual regional junior championships take place at the Otago Chess Club. On the 4th Ben Clayton (Tahuna Intermediate) defended his Otago/Southland Primary & Intermediate Championship title. He won with a score of 5½/6, a full point clear of Charlie Li (DNI) in second place, while third was shared by Joe McKee, Ethan Lau (both Maori Hill) and Ryan Lau (Balmacewen Intermediate) on 4 points.
The following Saturday it was the Otago Junior Championship, open to all players under 20 years old. The top seed was Kings HS homestay student Thorben Koop, and his overseas experience showed in his impressive victory of six straight wins. Joint winner last year, Edward Rains (Christchurch BHS) took clear second place on 5 points, a point clear of the four-way tie for third between Elliot Munro, David Moratti (both OBHS), Tim Rains (Christchurch BHS) and Ben Clayton.
Today's game was the decisive contest between the two leaders in the fifth round of the Otago Junior Championship. Edward Rains has the white pieces against Thorben Koop.
1.e4 c5
2.Nc3 Nc6
3.f4 g6
4.Nf3 Bg7
5.Bb5 d6
Far more common against the Grand Prix Attack is 5...Nd4. The text allows White to double the black c-pawns and play for a kingside attack based on f4-f5.
6.Bxc6+ bxc6
7.0-0 Nh6
8.d3 0-0
9.Qe1 Bg4
Aiming to reduce the number of offensive pieces by exchanging off the knight on f3 and establish a grip on the central dark squares.
10.f5 Bxf3
11.Rxf3 Ng4
12.Qh4 Ne5!?
Driving the rook to the h-file, intending to organise counterplay on the rest of the board in the rook's absence.
13.Rh3 h5
14.Bg5 Qb6!?
15.Rb1 ---
Clearly 15 Bxe7?! Qxb2 is better for Black, but 15 Nd1! looks more testing of Black's idea than the text as the knight covers the vulnerable squares on f2 and e3 as well as defending b2. For instance 15... c4+ 16 Kh1! cxd3 17 cxd3 and the pawn on e7 can't be defended. 17...f6 18 Bd2 looks great for White, while 17...e6 18 Be7 Rfe8 19 f6! Bf8 20 Bxf8 and either recapture is problematic (20...Kxf8 21 g4! or 20...Rxf8 21 Qg5 Ng4 22 Rxh5).
15.--- c4+
16.Be3 ---
If now 16 Kh1 Ng4 17 Nd1 then 17...Qc5! creates serious threats. E.g. 18 Bxe7 cxd3 19 cxd3 Qc2 20 Ra1 Bxb2 21 Nxb2 Nf2+ 22 Kg1 Nxh3+ 23 Qxh3 Qxb2 and Black should beat off the attack.
16.--- Qc7
17.Bg5 Ng4!?
Playing for a win rather than 17...Qb6+ repeating.
18.Na4?! ---
Putting the knight out of play, when from d1 it would also defend f2. An interesting alternative was 18 dxc4!? Qb6+ 19 Kf1 Be5! with extreme complications when Black's counter threats seem to keep the balance.
18.--- Qa5
19.b3 cxd3
20.cxd3 Rab8
21.Rf3? ---
Overlooking the threat contained in the last move. After 21 Rc1 Bd4+ 22 Kf1 e6 both sides are still very much in the game.
21.--- Qxa4!
Winning material as 22 bxa4?? Rxb1+ 23 Rf1 Bd4+ mates. White's 'best' continuation materially is 22 Bxe7 Qxa2 23 Rbf1 Bd4+ 24 Kh1 Nf2+! 25 R3xf2 Bxf2 26 Qxf2 Qxf2 27 Rxf2 Rxb3! with an easily winning ending for Black. Instead he tries a more practical approach in the hope of a blunder in the approaching time pressure.
22.f6!? Qd4+
23.Kh1 Bxf6
24.Bxf6 Nxf6
25.Rbf1 a5
The rest of the game was not recorded due to the rapid time limit. The extra knight soon made itself felt and Black won without trouble.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rxa2+! 2 Kxa2 Ra3+! 3 Kxa3 (or 3 Kb2) Qa1#.